Students whose parents do not have an academic background are still underrepresented in German universities, although many achieve a higher education entrance qualification (“Abitur”). Which education policy measures might convince them to decide in favour of university enrolment? This question is explored by a joint research project of the DIW Berlin and the WZB.

Economical and sociological literature on education discusses numerous reasons why young adults with a higher education entrance qualification whose parents do not hold a university degree decide against attending university. The project’s aim is to identify measures of education policy that might convince these young people to decide in favour of university enrolment. On the one hand, they might lack information about the advantages of higher education compared to apprenticeships, how to finance their studies, and how to get admitted at their desired university. On the other hand, financial reasons might discourage from university enrolment: while university creates costs, apprenticeships are paid. Against this background the project will analyse the effectiveness of possible countermeasures aimed at increasing the number of students from non-academic backgrounds.

We will examine these research questions taking the example of Berlin. The starting point of our analysis is a panel of young adults holding a higher education entrance qualification (“Abitur” or equivalent) in Berlin. The panel members will be interviewed one year before graduation concerning their study plans. Then, we follow these pupils for at least three years through online interviews. Furthermore, the project will analyse the influence of universities’ selection and admission processes on the decision for or against university enrolment.

The research project is sponsored by the Einstein-Stiftung Berlin and is a cooperation of two professors at the Free University of Berlin, Prof. Dr. C. Katharina Spieß and Prof. Dr. Heike Solga and their teams at the DIW Berlin and the WZB.